Blake Mycoskie

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS and creator of the ENOUGH mental health movement, built massive businesses from pocket change. He discusses bootstrapping wins, utility marketing, cold-calling celebrities, and how lack of industry experience can spark innovation. He also opens up about depression after success and practical tools he used to heal.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS and creator of ENOUGH, entrepreneur turned mental-health advocate after his recovery. He discusses building TOMS with viral marketing and one-for-one giving. He opens up about his seven-year battle with depression and the warning signs. He explains ENOUGH’s bracelet idea, using AI for emotional support, and why staying connected to your why matters.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes and a social entrepreneur, discusses his transformative journey in philanthropy and business. He dives into the revolutionary One for One® model, funding social startups through The Social Entrepreneurship Fund, and his latest venture, Madefor, which promotes habit-building based on neuroscience. Blake also shares profound insights from his explorations with psychedelics, emphasizing the importance of preparation for transformative experiences. His reflections bridge personal growth and the balance of joy in life.

Blake Mycoskie, entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded TOMS and now champions mental health, shares the unseen costs of success. He talks about selling his company and facing depression, the “more” mindset that fuels burnout, and how he rebuilt purpose through therapy, routines, and the Enough movement. Short, candid stories about identity, boundaries, and scheduling joy.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, shares his inspiring journey from a life-changing encounter in Argentina to creating a revolutionary 'one for one' model that donates shoes to those in need. He discusses the importance of embracing 'carpe diem' after personal loss and how journaling has fueled his entrepreneurial ventures. Blake also reflects on balancing business with family life, highlighting scheduling as a key to nurturing relationships. Tune in for insights on overcoming fears and using personal experiences for global impact!

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes and advocate for mental health, shares his journey through a profound midlife crisis. He candidly discusses how selling TOMS led to an identity collapse, revealing that midlife depression often follows success. Blake explores transformative treatments like ketamine therapy and emphasizes the importance of connection in overcoming struggles. His breakthrough realization of being 'enough' inspired the 'I Am Enough' initiative, aiming to foster mental health awareness and support among youth.

Entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie shares how he started TOMS shoes with a philanthropic model. He discusses the challenges, successes, and evolution of TOMS, from a niche brand to a major company. The podcast also features a postscript on how Chris Healy created special hair ties for men with long hair.

Look, there’s no way around it: Part of Stoicism is accepting that a lot of what happens in the world is outside our control. Some people have taken this to mean that the Stoics were resigned to their fate—that they were willing to tolerate the status quo and despair of the idea of improving the world or society.Of course this is rather silly when one considers that Marcus Aurelius and Cato and Senecawere all active in political life. Or that a millennium and a half later, the Stoics would directly inspire George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to take action in the founding of a new nation.In accepting what is outside of their control, a true Stoic makes a deal with themselves, and to all those with whom they are connected, to redouble their efforts to influence those things they can change.Earlier this year, Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes and, as it happens, a longtime student of the Stoics (particularly Marcus Aurelius), got a call from his wife after yet another tragic mass shooting. As he described it to us in our interview:My wife called me very emotional and was afraid of taking our son to school. She kept reciting all the recent shootings on the phone, and before we got off, she said, someone must do something about it (she was not suggesting me per se). I got off, and a higher power put a thought in my mind and it was simply: if not me, then who? If not now, then when?Blake came to feel that given his success as an entrepreneur, his track record as a leader, and his platform as the owner of a large, well-known company, perhaps it was in his control to do something about the problem of gun violence in America.Was he delusional to think he could solve the problem all by himself? No. Did he think it would be easy or simple or happen all at once? No. But he did think he had at least some power to make a difference, and so he got to work.First, he and TOMS committed $5 million to groups on the ground fighting to reduce gun violence (which happens to be the single largest corporate donation ever for that cause). But he did not stop at simply giving money. He also built a tool that made it possible for every single American to go to TOMS.com and fill out a quick form that sends a free physical postcard to their congressional representative asking for just one thing: universal background checks for anyone buying a gun (something that 90% of Americans support). And then Blake went on an active, exhausting media tour to spread awareness of this tool, launching it on The Tonight Show and many other outlets. In less than five days, more than half a million citizens participated. Tens of thoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the podcast features Blake Mycoskie (@blakemycoskie). Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS, and the person behind the One for One® business model, which helps a person in need with every product purchased. This simple idea has grown into a global movement: TOMS Shoes has provided more than 60 million pairs of shoes to children since 2006, TOMS Eyewear has restored sight to more than 400,000 people since 2011, and TOMS Roasting Company has helped provide over 335,000 weeks of safe water since launching in 2014. In 2015, TOMS Bag Collection was founded with the mission to help provide training for skilled birth attendants and distribute birth kits containing items that helps women safely deliver babies. As of 2016, TOMS has supported safe birth services for more than 25,000 mothers. In this episode we cover: Early entrepreneurial ventures The power of journaling How "the stool analogy" changed Blake's life Lessons from Ben Franklin And much, much more… This episode comes from my new television show Fear(less), where I interview world-class performers on stage about how they’ve overcome doubt, conquered fear, and made their toughest decisions. You can watch the entire first episode with illusionist David Blaine for free at att.net/fearless. (To watch all episodes, please visit DIRECTV NOW). We recorded three hours of material and only one hour was used for the TV show. This podcast episode is almost entirely new content that didn’t appear on TV. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This episode is brought to you by Inktel. Ever since I wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, I've been frequently asked about how I choose to delegate tasks. At the root of many of my decisions is a simple question: "How can I invest money to improve my quality of life?" Or, "how can I spend moderate money to save significant time?" Inktel is one of those investments. It is a turnkey solution for all of your customer care needs. Its team answers more than one million customer service requests each year. It can also interact with your customers across all platforms, including email, phone, social media, text, and chat. Inktel removes the logistics and headache of customer communication, allowing you to grow your business by focusing on your strengths. And as a listener of this podcast, you can get up to $10,000 off your start-up fees and costs waived by visiting inktel.com/tim. That's inktel.com/tim. This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world's largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs. I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The Tao of Seneca, and I've also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you're happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run...***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Blake Mycoskie, the visionary founder of TOMS Shoes, known for his innovative One for One® model, shares insights on blending commerce with social good. He emphasizes the necessity of purpose in entrepreneurship, asserting that a strong 'why' fuels passion. Blake discusses the shift towards socially conscious brands and how storytelling can deepen connections with consumers. He also tackles the role of businesses in advocating for societal change, including initiatives for gun legislation and community development, illustrating how giving can drive meaningful impact.